second fiddle

American  

noun

1. a person or thing filling a secondary role, especially to one immediately superior (often used attributively): That new copycat seafood restaurant will never be more than a second fiddle to ours.

   He has a certain strength and humility that comes from being in a second-fiddle position for years.

   That new copycat seafood restaurant will never be more than a second fiddle to ours.

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idioms

1. play second fiddle, to act in a secondary role.

   She's tired of playing second fiddle to her egomaniacal teammate.

second fiddle British  

noun

1. 1. the second violin in a string quartet or one of the second violins in an orchestra

   2. the musical part assigned to such an instrument

2. a secondary status

3. a person who has a secondary status

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second fiddle More Idioms  

1. see play second fiddle.

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Etymology

Origin of second fiddle

First recorded in 1825–35

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

second fiddle

When Tesla reports quarterly earnings on Wednesday, the numbers could once again play second fiddle to narrative details about the company’s futuristic forays into robotaxis and humanoid robots.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 21, 2026

For generations City played second fiddle in their own backyard to United, but they have ruled the roost over their local rivals since Alex Ferguson departed Old Trafford in 2013.

From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026

He delivered an extraordinary response to talk about his methods, including one answer that lasted seven minutes, as the game itself played second fiddle to the Frenchman and his job security.

From BBC ● Jan. 2, 2026

Words play second fiddle to the many stunning photographs of a seemingly ageless Ms. Parton in “Star of the Show.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 2, 2026

And my daughter is second fiddle, thought Mrs. Austen, who said: "How interesting!"

From The Paliser case by Saltus, Edgar